The era of 'Baby Madrid'

"Baby Madrid" is what the Spanish media calls Real Madrid, as they have the youngest squad in the team's history in the 21st century.

Gonzalo Garcia - one of Real Madrid's best young players - Photo: Reuters

Real Madrid is undergoing a significant transformation with a squad that boasts the lowest average age since 1999 – a milestone 26 years ago.

A Real Madrid as youthful as Barca.

According to Transfermarkt statistics, ahead of the 2025-2026 season, the average age of the Spanish royal club will be only around 25.7 years old. This figure marks a significant shift compared to previous seasons, making Real Madrid a prime example of the ambitious "youthful rejuvenation" trend.

Real Madrid's current squad, the youngest in almost three decades, should be seen in the context of La Liga's overall rejuvenation. Transfermarkt data shows that in the 2024-2025 season, Real Madrid and Barcelona will have a similar average age of 26.

It's worth noting that Barca has always been known for valuing young players. Real Madrid, on the other hand, only called up young players to fill the bench when key players suffered a series of injuries last season.

The highlight of this summer's story lies within Real Madrid itself: with new signings such as 20-year-old central defender Dean Huijsen, who just joined from Bournemouth, and 17-year-old attacking midfielder Mastantuono.

Real Madrid is demonstrating a major revolution in thinking, as they were previously accustomed to buying established superstars.

Paolo Roca, an expert in transfers and talent development, and the person who discovered Endrick, emphasized the immense potential of the young players at Real Madrid today: "The young players Real Madrid possesses have a lot of potential for development; Endrick and Mastantuono both have the potential to follow in Vinicius' footsteps in the future."

Meanwhile, Cadena SER analyst Tomás Roncero, while supporting the "youthful" trend, also expressed caution, stating: "Real Madrid have been very shrewd with their signings, but the midfield currently lacks a true playmaker like Modric and Kroos."

We also cannot ignore the perspective of tactical critics, who believe that Xabi Alonso's appointment as coach opens up a great opportunity to effectively utilize the young players.

Experts believe that the Spanish coach can build a team that harmonizes youth and tactics, helping the team adapt quickly, especially since both Endrick and Huijsen have shown remarkable maturity in the early stages of the season.

Why does Real Madrid need to revamp?

In fact, Real Madrid's transfer policy over the past two decades has revealed a two-part strategy. Firstly, Real Madrid has achieved its current success with superstars in their prime – from Ronaldo, Benzema, and Modric in the past to Rudiger, Alaba, and Mbappe later on.

Secondly, Real Madrid focuses on signing promising U21 talents to ensure both sporting success and financial benefits. Transfers like Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., Camavinga, Valverde, Rodrygo... are all proof of this philosophy, and now Mastantuono, Huijsen...

The difference now is that Real Madrid is looking to encourage young players to develop earlier. It's highly likely their starting central defensive pairing for the early part of next season will be Asencio and Huijsen – two defenders under the age of 23.

In midfield, a 20-year-old Arda Guler is expected to replace Modric's role. And it's not out of the question that players in their twenties like Alvaro Carreras or Gonzalo Garcia could also break into the starting lineup.

Part of that shift in thinking comes from coach Xabi Alonso – who is only 43 years old and has the backing of the Real Madrid leadership for this revolution. And part of it is a general trend in football.

Both PSG and Barca – the most successful teams of the past season – have been extremely successful in utilizing stars in their early twenties. Real Madrid clearly cannot be left out of that trend.

Ultimately, Real Madrid had no choice but to leave one by one, their star players like Kroos and Modric departing. In times of inflation, replacing so many key players with top-performing stars can cost billions of euros.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ky-nguyen-cua-baby-madrid-202508081019447.htm